Arizona Warned of Dangerous Freezing Temperatures

Temperatures will plunge to dangerous levels in southern Arizona on Friday as an arctic blast moves across the country.

The system that will impact most of the U.S. follows a series of winter storms that brought gusty winds, cold temperatures and heavy precipitation to most of the nation this week, including snow in Hawaii. In southern Arizona, temperatures will drop to 30 or below before beginning to rise again later in the weekend.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a freeze warning for south-central Arizona to go into effect early Friday morning. It will be about 30 degrees in the Phoenix area, and temperatures are likely to drop even more for other cities in the region.

"Hard Freeze Watch in effect late Thurs night through early Fri morning for areas north and west of Tucson, including Tucson," the NWS office in Tucson posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday afternoon. "Temps are expected to drop into the low 20s, depending on the area. Planning to be outside during this time? Make sure to dress warmly!"

Although much of Arizona will remain above zero during the arctic blast, the incoming temperatures are below the state's average for this time of year. NWS meteorologist Gary Zell told Newsweek that the average low for Tucson in mid-January is 41 degrees. The average high is 66, but cold weather has been a pattern for the region this week.

"We've been cold," Zell said. "Yesterday morning we were at 31, and then we already had a couple of hard freezes."

The cold snap will be short-lived in Arizona, and highs will return to around average with morning lows above freezing by Saturday.

Nearly all of the U.S. will experience wind-chill temperatures below zero as the arctic blast grips the nation, including parts of northern Arizona and New Mexico, according to a wind-chill map published by the NWS.

Residents of North Dakota, South Dakota, far northern Idaho and far northern Washington will experience wind-chill temperatures colder than minus-40 degrees. Much of the Midwest will feel like minus-10 degrees or colder, with the Northeast facing wind-chill temperatures of 10 degrees to minus-10 degrees.

Frigid temperatures can kill unprotected plants and damage plumbing, prompting a warning from the NWS.

"Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly," the NWS freeze warning said. "Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above-ground pipes to protect them from freezing."